All's Fair in Love & War
by Ginchiyo
Summary: Dirk makes a bet with Gretel that he later regrets making... Lemons in later chapters!
1. The Bet

_AN: I don't own Harvest Moon or any of these characters etc. Also would like to warn you that this gets very lemony later on, so if you're too young to be reading this, don't start reading now. I originally started this fic with the intention of making it Gretel/Ivan, but somehow Dirky ended up getting the girl and I reckon it fits much better this way. I'll probably write an Ivan/Gretel fic once I run out of steam with this one. Anyway... on with the story!_

**Chapter One**

_**The Bet**_

Dirk grinned childishly as Gretel put a cage down in front of him and Kevin triumphantly. Her clothes were rumpled and a small twig peaked out from her slightly tangled hair.

"There. I think that's all of them," she announced as she placed her hands on her hips and looked down at Kevin and Dirk, both of whom were peering into the cage.

"Amazing," Kevin said in awe as the shining blue beetle scuttled around angrily in the cage. "Didn't think it was possible that this thing existed."

"Well, it does. Now Dirk, cough up. We made a deal," Gretel said, stretching out a hand and gesturing for him to hand over the money he owed her.

Pouting slightly, Dirk pulled out ten gold coins from the breast pocket of his jacket and dropped them down into Gretel's hand. Her hand closed greedily around the coins and she smiled broadly, "I told you I'd find it. Should never make a bet unless you're sure you're gonna win."

"Pfft. What's the fun in that?" Dirk said. "Bets are about gambling. There's no fun if you're sure you're going to win."

"Hmph. I don't make bets for fun, I make them for profit," Gretel replied, dropping her coins into her pocket and patting it for emphasis. "Money makes the world go round."

"I thought love was what made the world go round," Marian chirped cheerfully, coming out with a glass of orange juice and a cup of hot chocolate for Dirk and Kevin. "Love does what money can't."

"But the pursuit of love and romance costs money," Gretel said grimly, settling down into a chair next to Dirk as Marian went inside to get a glass of water for her. "All the gifts and offerings you need to give someone... it all costs money."

"That's not true," Dirk challenged, glancing at her sideways. "Love is free. You don't need to spend money to get someone to fall in love with you."

"Trust me, I'm not wrong about this," Gretel said confidently as she thought back on her experiences of courting guys.

A smile tugged at the corner of Dirk's mouth. "Wanna make a bet?"

"Of course. I'll make a guaranteed profit out of it," Gretel said with a bright smile, obviously thinking about the next payment Dirk would have to make to her.

"Okay. I bet I could get you hooked up with someone in the village. I'll do all the work. If love doesn't blossom, then I'll pay you twenty gold coins," Dirk said mischievously.

"And if you succeed?" Gretel asked wearily.

"Then you'll promise to get me hooked up with someone too," Dirk said smiling toothily at her.

Gretel made a face. "Are you serious?"

"Well I can't very well ask you for money since that'd totally ruin the whole point of the exercise. I have to prove that love is free, don't I? Meaning money can't be involved at all," Dirk explained with a shrug. "So, take your pick. Which lucky guy do you want to be hooked up with?"

Gretel thought about it for a short moment before announcing, "Felix."

Kevin spat out his orange juice in shock and the cups on Marian's carry tray wobbled.

"You're joking, right?" Dirk asked, his mouth hanging open slightly in horror.

"Well, duh," Gretel said, thinking about it for another moment. "Besides, it'd probably annoy Sherry if I got her dad involved. She's already miffed at me for teasing Lloyd about his funny turban."

"Okay, so pick someone else then!" Dirk demanded impatiently.

Gretel gave it some serious thought for moment. She didn't really have her eye on anyone in town. She had been too busy trying to get the abandoned farm back onto its feet to really get to know any of the guys properly. She couldn't very well think about courting guys when she didn't even have enough time to look at herself in the mirror in the morning – hence her sometimes bizarre outfit choices. She was just thinking about her dorky looking hat when she saw Dirk's brother, Ivan, cross the bridge and head in the direction of their house. Now _there_ was a challenge. Gretel had always thought Ivan was very attractive, but she never had the chance to speak to him.

"Your brother," Gretel announced finally. She folded her arms and smirked at Dirk as he looked in the direction his older brother had disappeared to.

Dirk scowled darkly. "Please tell me _that_ was a joke too."

"No. I'm totally serious," Gretel replied with satisfaction. She knew she had won the bet before it had even started.

Dirk groaned. "But he's my older brother..."

"Exactly. If you give up already, then you might as well hand over those twenty gold coins right now," Gretel said, outstretching her hand once more.

Dirk glowered at her for a moment, looked in the direction his house was in and then back at Gretel.

"No. I'm not going to give up yet. You pick my brother? Fine. I'll give it a go," Dirk told her, determination set in his green eyes. It made him seem almost adult in comparison to how he usually appeared.

Gretel frowned slightly, "Suit yourself. It's not my time you'll be wasting. I better be off anyway, I have a lot more work to do."

Setting down one gold coin as payment for her drink, Gretel rose from her chair and smiled at Dirk and Kevin before heading off towards her farm. "Look after the beetle!" she called to the boys over her shoulder.


	2. The Path to Regret

_AN: I don't own Harvest Moon etc etc. Blah blah, enjoy. Please be kind with your criticism __

**Chapter Two**

_**The Path to Regret**_

Dirk frowned as he headed home at the end of his shift at the cafe. He mentally kicked himself as he recalled his bet with Gretel. He knew she'd pick someone difficult, but not his brother. He had hoped that someone like Lloyd would be where she'd draw the line.

He pushed the door to his house open and grimaced as he saw his brother sitting in the living room with a book open and paper scattered on the coffee table in front of him. He gave Ivan a curt nod before asking, "Had a good day?"

"Same as usual. I don't have much marking to do tonight, so I can make you cream croquettes later if you want," Ivan replied, setting his book down in his lap and looking up at his younger brother. Dirk felt a pang of guilt as he realised what he had inadvertently got his brother involved with. Obviously reading his brother much like the book he did in his lap, Ivan asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Dirk replied a little too quickly, heading to his room in a hurry and taking off his hat. He glanced at himself in the mirror for a moment, frowning at how boyish looking he was. Compared to how mature and handsome his brother was, Dirk still looked like a little boy, despite being only four years younger than Ivan. He was nineteen already; he was a grown man now, not a kid. He hated comparing himself to Ivan all the time, but now a days it was hard not to. He was old enough to notice how women looked at Ivan and he silently admitted to himself that it made him feel quite bitter.

Dirk shrugged off his coat and hung it up in his wardrobe before heading back into the living room. His brother was still busy reading and Dirk hesitated in the doorway for a moment before asking, "You don't have a girlfriend yet, do you?"

Ivan snapped his book shut and eyed his brother wearily. "Why do you ask?"

This response alone unsettled Dirk. The fact that it wasn't an instant denial caused a creeping dread to seep into his stomach and begin to spread. "I-I'm just curious. That's all."

"Well, if you must know, I've started seeing Freya. Nothing serious, just coffee and sometimes dinner after work on those days I go into the city," Ivan replied airily, reopening his book and beginning to read again – obviously not wanting to discuss the subject further.

"F-Freya?" Dirk said in shock. Freya was pretty, to be sure, but she was always so very serious about her work that it seemed like she'd never consider dating anyone.

"Yes. Is there a problem with that?" Ivan asked sternly, staring up at his brother sharply in an attempt to force Dirk to drop the subject. However, Dirk did not take the hint.

"Are you serious about her?" Dirk asked, a creeping desperation in his voice. He knew he'd have a hard time winning the bet against Gretel, but if Ivan was already dating someone else then there really was no hope.

Ivan snapped his book shut again and put it down on the coffee table with a thud. He glanced at Dirk and then at the chair opposite him, signalling that Dirk should take a seat. Understanding this, Dirk took a seat across from him and folded his arms defensively.

"What's this all about? You don't have a crush on her do you?" Ivan asked, much like a concerned parent.

"No. I don't. Of course not, she's too serious for me. And she's five years older. She's older than you too!" Dirk exclaimed.

Ivan chuckled, "One year's age difference doesn't matter. Besides, I like her seriousness. She's dedicated to her work – you don't find many women like her nowadays. Most are more content with getting married and having children rather than building a career."

"What about Gretel?" Dirk retorted, seeing his chance to drop her into the conversation. "She works hard. And it's manual labour rather than just an office job. She's got to be pretty dedicated to run that farm all by herself as a woman."

"Well, that's true," Ivan said, looking across at the kitchen and avoiding Dirk's gaze. "I never had much of a chance to talk to her though. She's always busy doing work on the farm or scavenging for bugs for you and Kevin. I _know_ you're still continuing with that bug-hunt business, so don't even try to lie."

Dirk winced. "I'm just playing with Kevin. There aren't many other kids in town, so who else is he going to hang around with? Anyway, don't change the subject."

"What can I say? Gretel seems like a lovely girl, but I rarely see her. And the last time I saw her she had her rear end sticking out a bush – obviously foraging for something. I can hardly go up to her and say 'Good afternoon' to her arse, can I?" Ivan asked, his cheeks growing pink at the memory of it.

Pausing for a moment, Dirk opened his mouth to say something but Ivan cut him off. "Besides, I always thought you were interested in her."

Dirk sat still for a moment, his eyes widening slightly at his brother's statement. Him? Like Gretel? Well, she was more like a playmate than someone he'd ever consider dating. Sure she was quite pretty, but she wasn't as pretty as Antoinette or Daisy. He had thought about the possibility of dating her but... It was difficult to see her as anything more than just a friend; his brilliant, tomboyish friend who he felt completely comfortable with. Wrinkling his nose, Dirk shook his head at the thought. He couldn't think of her like that, could he?

"Well, if you're sure about that, then I suppose I can start talking to her more," Ivan replied a little too quickly. "Thankfully things with Freya aren't very serious, so she would understand if I were break things off. Besides, I need to make sure you approve of the girl I'm dating, in case I end up marrying her and she has to live with us."

Before Dirk could say anything more, Ivan rose from his chair and headed to the kitchen. Dirk followed him, feeling a little discomforted after what Ivan just said. At the mention of marriage Dirk felt a knot tie in his stomach. He felt guilty about Freya, she was a nice enough girl after all, but there was something else in what Ivan said that caused him a great amount of discomfort and it bothered him that he couldn't quite put his finger on it.


	3. Ivan's Heart

_Don't own these characters... etc etc._

**Chapter Three**

_**Ivan's Heart**_

The next day, Gretel stood looking at her farm from her doorway and smiled with content. She was dirty, sweaty and thoroughly worn-out, but her farm looked amazing. Neat little rows of turnip sprouts poked out of the ground like shy children while her cows absentmindedly grazed on the patch of grass to her left. She had proven everyone wrong – she could effectively run a ranch as a woman. And she was only nineteen! 'Hah!' She thought to herself, 'I proved my mum wrong. This beats marrying some rich snob with a yacht any day.' Leaning against her doorframe she let out a sigh of relief as her two dogs, Pepsi and Cola shot out of the house from between her legs and started rounding up the cows expertly as the sun started to set on that afternoon. She could finally relax.

After putting away her tools and throwing herself into the shower with satisfaction, Gretel was ready to start chilling down in front of the television with a bottle of strawberry juice when she heard a knock on her door. Trying to plump up her nearly-dry hair with one hand, she opened the door with the other and found herself face to face with Ivan. He looked her from top to bottom for a moment, taking in her baggy t-shirt and tiny shorts, his cheeks flushed with colour. Remembering what she was wearing, Gretel quickly hid herself behind the door and squeaked, "I-Ivan! Can I help you?"

Clearing his throat, Ivan said, "I just wanted to stop by and ask if you'd like to come to dinner at our house tonight. I made a little too much and Dirk suggested that we invite you over."

"Oh, he did, did he?" Gretel asked flatly. Was Dirk serious?

"S-So," Ivan began again, looking away bashfully, "Would you like to come around for dinner?"

"Uh," Gretel began, her eyes darting around her house frantically to find some clothes to wear. "Yeah, sure. Let me just put some clothes on. Sorry... you caught me at a bad time. I wasn't expecting visitors."

"That's quite alright, I understand completely," Ivan replied, glancing back at the half open door as Gretel dashed around the house trying to find at least a clean dress she could wear. He caught a glimpse of her hopping around her house trying to slip off her shorts and looked away abruptly in alarm. He felt like a peeping tom right now, but he couldn't say that what he saw was unpleasant. She was obviously not as skinny as he thought, underneath all those dorky clothes she wore when she was out farming.

"Okay! I'm ready... I think," Gretel exclaimed, sounding a little strangled as she dashed towards the door and threw it open.

* * *

><p>Dirk looked sourly at the dinner table he had just laid out. He wasn't sure why, but he was a little unhappy that Ivan was taking his suggestion so seriously. And so swiftly! Did this mean that Ivan had liked Gretel for a while but had been holding back because of him? The sound of the key turning into the front door jerked him out of his reverie and he forced himself to beam brightly at Gretel and Ivan as they walked in. Gretel's cheeks were flushed pink as she looked at the spread before her.<p>

"Oh my goodness. It looks delicious guys!" Gretel said, her eyes wide with delight. She had been starving when Ivan had turned up at her doorstep, but she felt even hungrier seeing all the food laid out before her.

"I hope you're hungry," Dirk said, his teeth clenched slightly as Ivan pulled out a chair for Gretel and she sat down, smiling up at Ivan thankfully. She looked so happy that she was practically glowing in the dim light of the kitchen, her violet-blue eyes roaming over Ivan like she wanted to eat him up instead of the food in front of them.

The evening went by a little too slowly for Dirk's liking. The three of them idly chit-chatted about their daily routines; with Ivan being particularly attentive to Gretel as she raved about how much she enjoyed working on her farm. Dirk had never seen his brother be this... what was the word? Charming? Suave? He had only ever seen Ivan be the stern scholarly-type; since when did he become such an expert with women? Was this a result of all the time he spent in the city?

After all the food was finished, Ivan glanced at Dirk with his eyebrows slightly raised. This was obviously Dirk's signal to excuse himself and he did so hurriedly, smiling briefly at Gretel as he gave her a forced wink and headed to his bedroom. As he shut his door he found himself confused about why he felt so upset that this was all happening. He sighed heavily, dropping down to sit on the floor with his back to the door. He had wanted this to happen, right? It meant he was winning the bet. He glanced at the mirror again and saw himself looking disappointed and obviously quite miserable. What was the problem?

* * *

><p>It was nearly midnight when Gretel announced that she should be getting home. She was tipsy from wine which didn't partner well with the fact that she was extremely tired from working all day. Ivan walked her home, helping to keep her steady after she nearly tripped over the steps on the bridge. She kept looking up at him in slight awe; could this bookish, handsome young man really be interested in a smelly farmer girl like her? Or was he just playing along to help Dirk win the bet?<p>

Once they reached her doorstep, Gretel smiled lazily at him as she said, "Thank you so much for tonight. It was wonderful and I really enjoyed myself."

"Thank you for coming, I'm glad you enjoyed yourself as much as I did. It gave me the opportunity to talk to you properly, since I never had much of a chance to before," Ivan told her. His cheeks were flushed for some reason.

"Why are you blushing?" She asked before she could stop herself. She covered her mouth as she realised what she blurted out and Ivan stared up at her wide eyed for a moment. 'Verbal diarrhoea , how I hate thee...' she chastised herself.

He cleared his throat before replying, "Because I've wanted to talk you for a while."

"Oh," Gretel breathed, leaning towards him slightly. She stared at him unabashedly, the wine giving her the courage to do so. However, as she continued to stare at him she realised how much he looked like Dirk. They both had the same face shape and features, though Ivan was a bit more mature. Their eyes, while not the same colour, were the same shape and were framed by the same long eyelashes. Ivan was what she imagined Dirk would look like in a few years. Suddenly she found herself feeling more lucid, the thought of Dirk waking her up. The bet! She was going to lose at this rate. She blinked at him a couple of times before saying quickly, "I better get to bed. I have an early start tomorrow."

"Alright," Ivan said with a nod, taking a step back. He looked dashing in the moonlight, the wind playfully tousling his hair. She smiled blissfully as he gave her another nod and turned away to head home. She felt a little sad as she watched his retreating his back, but her heart leapt as he turned around quickly and asked, "Can I come and see you tomorrow?"

Her heart caught in her throat as she fought with herself to get some words out. "Y-Yes. It's probably best to come in the late afternoon though, otherwise you'll see me covered in mud and dirt..."

"You'll look lovely regardless," Ivan told her, understanding that she wanted to look her best for him. "I'll come around at noon. I'll bring lunch for you."

Gretel blushed and nodded with a shy smile.


	4. Hidden Feelings

**Chapter Four**

_**Hidden Feelings**_

The next morning, Ivan woke up in a pleasant mood. Stretching his arms above his head languorously as he glanced over at his clock and smiled lazily as he realised he had woken up before his alarm. Sitting up in bed, he blinked against the light streaming into his bedroom. Last night had been unusually fun – he hadn't expected to have enjoyed it as much as he did. Whether it was because of the wine or the fact that she was wearing normal clothes for once, he had thought Gretel looked gorgeous. She also ate heartily, not picking at her food the way Freya often did when they went out to dinner, which won her lots of points with Ivan.

After getting dressed, he wandered into the kitchen to find Dirk eating his breakfast. He glanced at Ivan with a questioning and almost incredulous expression, and it was then that Ivan noticed that his brother was looking rather sour. Ivan arched an eyebrow questioningly, "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Dirk replied dismissively, swallowing the last spoonful of his breakfast in a hurry. Ivan watched in a surprise as Dirk dumped his cereal bowl into the sink and stalked out of the house. What was that?

Dirk did his work at the cafe wordlessly that day. He was wracked with confusion as he tried to figure out what was wrong, images of Gretel's girlish smile as she gazed at Ivan flashing through his mind. His agony was obviously visible on his face as Marian asked, "Okay, what's wrong?"

He didn't reply and simply shrugged as he rearranged the chairs unnecessarily, wanting to find something to take his mind off of last night. The more he thought about it, the angrier he felt. All the time he spent with Gretel, and all those times he had felt that tight knot in his stomach at the mere sight of her... Why had he been so stupid? Why hadn't he realised it before? He _really_ was still just a kid.

"No, seriously Dirk. What's the matter? You look absolutely miserable," Marian asked him, swiftly guiding him over to a table in the corner and firmly forcing him to sit down. Beautiful Marian, so angelic and motherly – she was exactly Dirk's type, or so he thought. In reality he had only taken up the job at the cafe when he was fifteen so he could spend time with her, but he knew he'd never get anywhere with her. She wasn't interested in dating anyone, and Dirk had always known it was a lost cause.

"N-Nothing happened," Dirk replied weakly, blushing slightly.

Marian frowned. "It can't be nothing. I know you. You don't scowl and frown for no reason. So tell me, what happened?"

"Marian, please just drop it. I really don't want to-" he cut off when he saw Marian looking sternly at him, just like Ivan usually did. "It's really nothing major. Just something that happened last night."

"Anything to do with Gretel and Ivan? I heard Gretel giggling her head off in the courtyard quite late last night. When I looked out my window upstairs, I saw Ivan propping her up and helping her home," Marian asked, her eyebrow arched inquisitively. "Is your bet going a little too well?"

Dirk hesitated for a moment, shaking his head and refusing to say anything more. He really didn't want to go into this too deeply with Marian. She knew all about the bet and she'd probably guess in an instant what was really wrong with Dirk; something that not even he wanted to admit to himself.

* * *

><p>Gretel grinned as if all her Christmases and birthdays had come at once. She roughly stuck her pitchfork into the ground beside her as she saw Ivan walking up the path that lead to her farm with a basket in hand and a warm smile on his lips. Good grief he was attractive. She felt warmth rise to her cheeks as she appraised him from afar, shielding her eyes from the midday sun so she could see him better. If only he had given her the time to get more suitably dressed... she looked like more of a country bumpkin than ever today. Wearing old dungarees and her hair in a messy ponytail, she looked like the complete opposite of him.<p>

"Good afternoon," he crooned as he reached her. "I brought lunch as promised. It's nothing special, but hopefully it'll take the edge off your hunger a bit."

"Thank you so much Ivan, you really shouldn't have," Gretel said as he handed her the basket and she peeked inside. She saw freshly sliced bread, various packs of pates and cheeses, as well as a bottle of lemonade and a couple of glass cups. "I gosh, I'm hungry now."

"Good good. Do you want to go inside to eat, or eat out here?" Ivan asked her, glancing around the farm yard to see if there was anywhere to sit. Gretel glanced over at one of her cows as it lifted its tail to take a dump and grimaced.

"I think it's probably better if we eat inside," Gretel said, scurrying into the farmhouse and setting down the basket. She did an internal victory dance at the thought of having lunch with Ivan when she suddenly stopped herself and remembered: the bet. Dirk set this up so he could win a bet. If she allowed this to happen, he'd win and she'd have to admit defeat and return the favour. Would it really be that bad if she lost though? If it meant she could keep Ivan in her life? Moreover, how had Dirk done it? It had happened within a day and it almost seem too fast, too convenient. What did this mean? Did it mean that Ivan had always liked her?

"You really have a lovely home," Ivan announced as Gretel busied herself in the kitchen finding plates for them.

She poked her head around the open door of the kitchen and replied, "Thank Felix for contacting me. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't even be here."

"Well I'm definitely glad you did agree to move here. I understand he put a lot of pressure on you when you first arrived. What with the failing bazaar and all," Ivan called to her from the living area.

Gretel snuck a glance around the doorway again to see what he was doing, and she saw him sitting himself down on the couch, inspecting one of her trashy romance books that had been carelessly strewn across the coffee table. Panicked, she finished grabbing all the stuff she needed and strode into the room noisily, causing Ivan to drop the book immediately as if he was a naughty schoolboy who had been caught trying to steal a cookie.

"Y-You like to read then?" Ivan asked, his voice a little more strained. She stared at him with embarrassment for a moment before setting down the plates on the dinner table and not replying. What was she meant to say? 'Yes, I like reading trash romance because I'm lonely and have no love-life of my own'?

"Sorry, I don't read academic books like the ones you probably read," she managed to say once she had finished laying the table. She turned towards him and added, "I'm not quite as clever as you."

"I'm not really that clever," he said with a blush as he got up and headed towards the dinner table. "I just like to read. Thankfully it's an essential part of my job, to read, so it suits me well."

"Do you only teach young children?" Gretel said, pulling out a slice of bread as he took a seat adjacent to her. She almost flinched when his knee bumped into hers.

"Yes, at the moment. I don't know if I'm quite comfortable teaching anyone older, considering the fact that I'm so young myself," he replied.

"Oh, I see. So you've never taught someone my age, I guess," Gretel replied before ramming the bread into her mouth. God, she was hungry.

"Well, I could teach _you _if you need to be taught anything. But I doubt there's anything I know that you don't already know yourself," Ivan replied, eying her with some amusement as she looked like she was ecstasy from simply eating bread. "Are you enjoying yourself there?"

Gretel paused, another piece of bread on the way to her mouth, realising that she was eating as if she hadn't eaten in days. She must look like a complete idiot. "Sorry, I'm starving. I-I didn't eat breakfast this morning."

"It's fine. It's nothing to be embarrassed about!" Ivan said with a chuckle, reaching over to grab some of the pate Gretel had just used. At the same time, she reached over to get some of the butter she had brought out and their hands brushed. This small touch caused both of them to stop moving, Gretel looked up at Ivan at the same time as he did and their gazes met and held for what felt like hours. She felt a heat rising up through her body from between her legs as his eyes searched hers and before she could react he leant in and kissed her, his hand reaching out to gently cup the side of her face.

She let out a little moan of pleasure as he kissed her. Her mind that had initially been filled with so many thoughts and anxieties stilled into silence and she felt herself edging forward, his arm snaking around her waist as she wobbled slightly from their awkward position. Was she dreaming? He smelled gorgeous, of herb perfume and faint cologne, and the passion with which he kissed her answered her questions from before. He had liked her for a while, from afar. But he had never done anything about it until now.

She broke their kiss and looked at him with confusion. "Wh-why?" she asked.

"Why what?" he asked back, leaning forward and planting kisses on the side of her neck.

"Why now?"

Ivan paused for a moment, pulling away from her and brushing a strand of hair out of her face. "I thought you were someone special to someone else. I didn't want to act on my feelings if I thought it would hurt him."

"Hurt who?" Gretel asked dumbly.

Ivan frowned slightly, wrinkling his nose. "Dirk, of course."

"Dirk has never liked me," Gretel stated dumbly, trying to think back to all the times she had hung out with Dirk before. He didn't like her, right? I mean... she thought of him as the brother she wished she had.

"Well, I thought he did until last night," Ivan told her, pulling back some more as the passion between them dissipated. Gretel pouted slightly at this, which caused Ivan to smile and pull her toward him again. He kissed her neck softly, trailing a painfully slow line of kisses from her neck to her ear. Once he reached his ear he whispered, "I've wanted to do this since we first met."

Gretel felt her skin grow very hot at this. Her? He had wanted to do this to her since he first met her? But she wasn't anything special! She wasn't delicate and beautiful like Sherry or Marian. Nor was she as cute as Antoinette and Daisy. Heck, she couldn't even compare herself to Freya. And yet he had wanted her? She spluttered out nonsense for a moment, unable to find intelligible words to say. However, she didn't need to say anything as Ivan gently took her chin and made her turn towards him for another kiss. Wrapping her arms around him, she melted into him, feeling blissfully happy. And yet something nagged in the back of her mind - something was telling her that this wasn't right.


	5. Realisation

**Chapter Five**

_**Realisation**_

A week later Dirk spotted Gretel playing with Kevin by the small pond next to Nellie and Isaac's house. She was giggling and flicked some water at Kevin as he tried to throw a bug at her, her blond hair catching the light strangely as she giggled and played with the youngster. Usually, Dirk would have gone over and joined them, but over the past week he had begun to avoid Gretel. He knew things were going well between her and Ivan – his brother had come home smiling every evening after visiting her. He didn't even want to think of what the two of them could be doing that would make his brother smile so brightly. While he was glad that his brother was happy, he realised that it was making himself miserable. It had taken a while for Dirk to come to terms with it, but he realised that it was Gretel. It was always about Gretel - he had realised too late how he felt about her. He was naive to think that he didn't feel for her in the way that his brother had suspected in the first place. He had ruined everything for himself with that bet, and now it was too late. All he could do was stand back and watch as his brother courted her with ease.

'She should have been mine,' Dirk thought to himself, watching her with jealousy as she chatted to Kevin blissfully unaware of Dirk's burning gaze. He felt frustrated, furious and unbearably sad all at the same time.

He wrenched his gaze away from Gretel long enough to catch Freya staring at him curiously, her arms folded across her chest. Her eyebrow raised questioningly, before she turned away and headed back down the stairs that lead towards their houses. Dirk scowled and turned back to Gretel only to find she was staring back at him this time, her dark violet eyes looking up at him curiously.

"Hey," she said simply, causing Kevin to turn and stare up at Dirk too.

Dirk's mouth formed a grim line for a moment before he said, "Hey."

"I think you won the bet," Gretel said with a bright smile, not realising how much this single statement would pain Dirk.

Wincing slightly, Dirk turned to look in the direction Freya had just been standing before he said, "I told you, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you're right. Well, I suppose I have to make my payment now. So, who do you want to be matched up with?" Gretel asked him, rising from her makeshift seat by the pond. She stopped when she saw Dirk shift away unconsciously, his cheeks flushing pink as he glanced at her for a second and then back again.

'You,' Dirk thought, unable to say what he felt out loud. He gave her a pained look for a moment before replying glumly, "Give me some time to decide and then I'll let you know."

"Hmm, okay," Gretel said, getting up properly and dusting her skirt off. She eyed him with worry and asked, "Are you alright?"

Dirk shot her one last look, his eyes filled with longing, before turning and stalking away as quickly as he could. Gretel stood in silence, unable to understand what had just happened.

* * *

><p>Ivan looked down at the floor for a moment as Freya stood over him, her arms crossed over her chest and her stare fixed and unwavering. He cleared his throat, stalling for time before he said, "I've found someone else."<p>

"I know," Freya replied simply, no pain or anguish evident in her voice. She made it sound like it didn't matter to her; however her expression betrayed her hurt. Her almond shaped green eyes brimmed with tears and her lip quivered as she tried her best to remain calm. She had known since that first night when she had seen Ivan dragging Gretel home in her drunken state through her living room window. Her suspicions were then confirmed the following day when she spotted him heading to Gretel's farm with a picnic basket and a smile that was far brighter than those he had ever shown her.

Ivan looked up at her apologetically, wanting to apologise but the words didn't come to him. He didn't know what to say, and sorry seemed far too simple to offer her. He glanced down at his shoes as he said, "I really am fond of you Freya, but we were never meant for one another. I'm sure you saw that yourself."

"I always knew you liked her," Freya said, her voice wavering. "I could tell by the way you stared at her whenever she was around. But you held yourself back. I thought that was enough for us to have a chance."

"So did I. But circumstances changed," Ivan told her.

Something inside Freya snapped. "Oh really," she bit out, wiping her tears away angrily.

Ivan looked up at her for a moment and asked, "What's with that tone?"

"You said that circumstances changed. What exactly was it that changed?" Freya asked, her tone indignant and her expression bitter.

"The thing that held me back in the beginning, my brother. I had always thought that he liked her, but the other night he told me that-"

"He told you what? Did he actually say it aloud that he didn't like her? Or did you just make an assumption like you always do about matters of the heart," Freya spat.

Ivan was confused. "What do you mean, an assumption?"

"I caught him staring at her today. Like, really staring at her. The way that _you_ stare at her. You both have the same expression when you stare at something you want," Freya told him coldly, turning away from him and walking towards her window.

"He was staring at her?" Ivan asked dumbly, as if not understanding.

Freya let out a dry laugh, "Yes. Staring at her. He still likes her Ivan; he always has. I don't think he realised it until you started putting the moves on her."

"B-but I asked him..." he trailed off as he stared up and caught Freya's eye as she glared over shoulder at him. He knew better than to second guess her; she was telling the truth. Freya was a fantastic judge of character, something he had learned early on in their relationship together. Now he was left with a cold, empty feeling in his stomach. Dirk really did like Gretel, as did he.

"What have I done?" Ivan said, dropped his head to hands with his elbows resting on his knees. If he had known how Dirk really felt, he wouldn't have gone near her. Wouldn't have kissed or touched her the way he had, in spite of how good it felt.

"Hmph. Don't expect me to give you any advice," Freya told him sharply. Ivan nodded and rose to his feet, realising that this was his cue to leave.

"I'm sorry Freya," he told her solemnly before make his way out of her house. He winced as he heard something shatter and smash from inside the house once the door was shut. Freya had obviously thrown something expensive against the door he had just left out of.

* * *

><p>Ivan came home to a darkened house. None of the lights were on and there was no sound. He initially thought Dirk wasn't home yet, but the he saw Dirk's hat on the dressing stand by the front door. Scowling, Ivan turned into the living room and found Dirk sitting in the dark silently. Unmoving or even reacting to the fact that Ivan had come home.<p>

"I broke up with Freya just now," Ivan told Dirk wearily. Dirk didn't move or respond, though Ivan thought he saw a flash of recognition in his younger brother's eyes.

Ivan stood in the doorway and Dirk sat still, silent, for a couple of minutes. Each of them were lost in their own thoughts; Dirk thought about Gretel whilst Ivan thought about what Freya had just told him. Dirk finally looked up at his brother and asked, "So you're serious about her." It was more a statement than a question.

"Yes," Ivan said steadily.

Dirk snorted and looked away again. "I suppose Freya told you about what she saw this afternoon."

"Yes, she did," Ivan replied, taking the seat opposite his brother and turning the lamp next to him on. Dirk squinted for a moment at the suddenly light as Ivan added, "You should have told me."

"Well, it was too late when I realised it myself," Dirk replied, covering his eyes with one hand and letting out a sigh. It almost felt like a relief to talk to his brother about it and get the subject out in the open.

Ivan frowned. "So what do you want me to do about it?"

"I don't expect you to do a bloody damn thing about it," Dirk replied grumpily, much like he used to when he was a boy and was throwing a tantrum. "She picked you, didn't she? Why would she even look at me if you're around."

Ivan didn't really know what to say to this. He usually would have encouraged his brother to think more of himself, but considering the fact that he liked Gretel just as much as his brother did, he didn't think it was very appropriate.

"Whatever, I'll get over it," Dirk said finally. He looked at his older brother, jealousy evident in his green eyes, "I can't compete with you. There's just no point."


	6. Betrayal and Bliss

_AN: I don't own these characters etc. Lemon starts here... cover your eyes kiddies._

**Chapter Six**

_**Betrayal and Bliss**_

A couple of days later, Gretel decided to return the favour and visit Ivan. It also meant she would be able to see Dirk and ask him what was wrong. What had happened the other day had been bothering her, and his behaviour had worried her; probably more so than was necessary, or even appropriate. When the door opened, it wasn't Ivan that answered but Dirk. However, this Dirk that had flung open the door was not the one she was familiar with. His shirt was half open, his expression brooding and fatigued. He looked like he hadn't slept well the night before and it had left him looking quite rough.

Clearing her throat nervously she asked, "Um, is Ivan home?"

"No," Dirk replied sullenly, leaving the door open and heading back into the house.

Gretel assumed that this meant she could come in, and she did so timidly. Somehow she felt awkward being alone in that house with Dirk. She took off her shoes out of politeness, remembering how muddy they were from her walk there, before venturing further into their home. The place smelled of fresh pine and herb perfume. Dirk and Ivan's scents.

"Dirk, I wanted to talk to you about what happened the other day," Gretel called into the house. There was no answer. Had he gone back to bed?

With much trepidation, Gretel pushed open the door that she knew lead to Dirk's room. It was dark inside, the curtains were still drawn, and all she could hear was Dirk's breathing as he lay in bed. Suddenly concerned, she pushed the door open the whole way and rushed across the room to where Dirk lay in bed. He didn't react. He just lay there and looked up at the ceiling as she peered down at him. She poked him in the arm to see if he reacted and he looked at her grumpily before pulling his covers up around himself a bit more. Curiously, Gretel placed a hand on his forehead and realised he had a high fever.

"Oh gosh! Are you okay Dirk? Do you want me to call a doctor?" Gretel cried, dropping her bag and hurrying to the kitchen to grab a hot water bottle, medicine, or anything that would help.

"Don't bother!" Dirk cried moodily as she hurried back into the room with more blankets. He struggled with her for a moment as she tried to wrap more blankets around him, but stopped when he realised that resistance was futile. Her face was as determined as it was concerned. If only she knew that she was the cause behind his current state.

"You really need to look after yourself better," Gretel chided, pursing her lips and glaring at him as she pulled a chair up towards his bed. She then suddenly realised something. "Where's Ivan?"

"He's gone to work. He won't be back until five," Dirk replied, rolling over and turning his back to Gretel. "You don't need to be here."

"But who's going to look after you?" Gretel asked sternly. "Sick people shouldn't be getting out of bed, so I'll stay until your brother gets home."

"I don't want _you _to look after me," he bit out, turning towards her angrily.

Gretel sat shocked at the tone with which he had just spoken to her with. She looked away, upset. Realising how his behaviour had affected her, Dirk sighed and placed a hand on hers and said, "I'm sorry. I just want to be alone."

"But I don't want to leave you alone," Gretel cried, tears in her eyes. "You've been avoiding me lately and I don't want to leave you alone right now, especially not when you're sick."

Dirk smiled. This is why he liked her; her kindness. Her empathy and concern for others. She smiled back at him timidly and said, "Let me look after you, please?"

"You might make me feel worse," Dirk said glumly as she put a cold compress against his forehead firmly.

"Nonsense! Nurse Gretel will make you feel better, don't you worry," she said with a bright smile, flicking his nose.

Dirk stared at her smiling face and he found himself moving without thinking. Almost as if his soul had floated out from his body, he watched as he sat up and dragged Gretel towards him. Cupping the back of her head he forced her into an urgent, crushing kiss. He felt something him roar with satisfaction as his lips pressed against hers, and she could do nothing but sit still in total shock. What was happening? She tried to push him away, slapping him across the face in horror, but this seemed to only encourage him. He tugged her onto the bed with him, rolling her under him so she was pinned down by his body. His entire body felt so hot and she half-feared she would get burned by his touch.

"Dirk! What are you doing?" Gretel cried, struggling and writhing underneath him as he nuzzled at her neck hungrily, taking in the smell of fresh grass and honeysuckle. She couldn't understand why he was doing this, but she was frightened and knew she had to get out of from under him at any cost. They were alone in the house together and Ivan wasn't going to be home for hours – something she hadn't realised was this dangerous.

"Oh god, Gretel," Dirk moaned in anguish as he lifted himself off her for a moment, looking down at her with his bright green eyes. She stopped moving when she saw him starting to cry. She had never seen him look so miserable and down trodden; if she hadn't been pinned down by him right now, she probably would have thrown her arms around him and enveloped him in a hug. However, she felt too scared and too threatened. She was still reeling from the fact that Dirk had turned from sick patient to sexual predator in thirty seconds flat.

"W-W-Why are you crying? W-Why are you doing this?" Gretel whimpered, tears welling up in her own eyes. She was so confused at that moment as she began to struggle against his unbearable weight again.

"I..." he began, trying to steady himself as well as keep Gretel pinned down. He blinked the tears from his eyes and tried to get a grip of himself. He had come this far, he might as well finish it. He swallowed hard and took a deep breath before saying, "I'm in love with you Gretel."

This statement caused Gretel's heart to catch in her throat. Her words, her thoughts, all vanished; much like they had when Ivan had first kissed her. However, it felt different this time. Almost as if something had fallen into place. While alarm bells rang and her conscience screamed at her that this was wrong, she found herself looking at Dirk with new clarity. The boyish, childishly charming young man whom she had been unable to look at as anything other than a friend now appeared so much more adult. No, she was wrong. He WAS an adult. His lanky frame dwarfed hers as he loomed over her, his breathing heavy and laboured as he looked down at her expectantly. She gaped up at him, her eyes wide in confused realisation. He loved her? What about his brother? Why had he made that bet in the first place? She remembered what Ivan had told her about Dirk, but hadn't he said that Dirk didn't like her as he had thought? None of it made sense to her.

The endless questions in her mind were unable to find air as Dirk lowered himself on her once again, smothering the words from her with a hungry kiss that betrayed every amount of truth there was in his declaration to her. One hand caught her wrists and pinned them above her head roughly as the other grasped and stroked one of her thighs, reaching up under her skirt and caressing the flesh of her hip underneath. She felt a growing desire within her cry out for more while her mind kept telling her to get out and get away. She was here for Ivan, not Dirk. Dirk was Ivan's younger brother, and her friend. She couldn't think of Dirk like this, could she? But yet, she found herself enjoying the touches and strokes his fingers were making; she found surprising pleasure in the way his lips worshipped her skin and how his weight felt on top of her. When she was embraced by Ivan, it hadn't felt this good. She felt like something had been holding her back, telling her to reconsider.

"Dirk, I can't- Ivan..." she breathed, turning her head away from him. She didn't know what she wanted right now. She liked Ivan, he was the perfect kind of guy that girls fall head over heels for, but seeing Dirk in this new light started to push thoughts of the older brother out of her mind. His insistency, his intensity. These were sides of Dirk that she hadn't realised were there, and to be completely honest, it turned her on immensely.

"Forget about him," Dirk barked out moodily, his grip on her wrists tightening as he looked down at her feverishly. The way he looked at her made her feel like she was going to melt as he said, "Just for now. Forget that he exists."

Dirk swooped in for another kiss, but this time she didn't push him away. She arched her back into the kiss, her instincts taking over. She knew it was wrong, but how could she resist when it felt this good. When it felt this right. After realising that she wasn't going to struggle Dirk released her hands and tugged his shirt over his head, revealing a broad, smooth chest. Curiously, Gretel's hands stretched out to touch him and stroked his skin with feather lightness. He shivered at her touch and grabbed her hand, pinning it down to the bed again as he lowered himself onto her once more. For some reason, Dirk's confidence and insistency surprised Gretel. She had expected Dirk to be inexperienced and unsure of himself when it came to handling women, but he seemed to know exactly what he wanted and how to get it as his hands slid up her skirt and ducked under her panty line.

"Wait," she said, wriggling away from his hand as it inched dangerously close to entrance.

He released her hand as she started to tug off her clothes, entranced as he watched her peel off her cardigan. And then her blouse. She paused as she reached her bra, feeling exposed and shy. Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment. Dirk smiled at her, wrapping his arms around her. Initially she thought he was giving her a cuddle, but when she felt her bra loosen she realised he was just looking for the clasp. He pulled away from her and tugged the bra off of her body hurriedly, pausing once to look at her exposed chest before roughly pushing her back down onto the bed and lowering his mouth to her right breast. His tongue snaked over the nipple hungrily as his left hand reached for the other breast and kneaded it gently.

Gretel couldn't stop herself from moaning, and so her hand coming up to her mouth to stifle it. However, Dirk's left hand flew up to the hand and swatted it away as he lifted his head from her breast and he told her hotly, "I want to hear you moan for me." He then lowered his mouth back onto her breast and rolled his tongue around her nipple as his left hand returned to kneading the left one.

This time Gretel moaned loudly, shifting her hips anxiously as the heat between her legs began to become unbearable. 'This is wrong,' she told herself, but her body couldn't stop reacting to him and she knew in her heart that this is how it was meant to be. He loved her, and somehow she had always known it. The way he looked at her, even before the bet, was not just as a friend – but neither of them had realised it until now. And what of her feelings? She truly hadn't thought of Dirk like that, but somehow it felt completely natural for things to progress like this.

She let out a gasp as Dirk's left hand dipped under her skirt and stroked the soaking wet patch in her panties. Struggling to push herself up enough to look down at what he was doing, Gretel saw him grin up at her toothily. That toothy smile which used to seem so cute and playful, now seemed much more animalistic and hungry. He continued to stroke that patch, which drove Gretel mad with frustration. He chuckled at her expression, "So impatient."

"What are you waiting for?" she groaned, falling onto her back once more as his head descended on her breast again, sucking it gently as he continued to stroke her through her panties. She arched her back and tried to squeeze her thighs around the hand that was torturing her, but found Dirk's weight stopped her.

He tutted, rising himself up once more so he could look down at her as she lay pinned beneath him. "Do you really want me that much?"

Gretel looked at him angrily for a moment, but her gaze softened as he smiled down at her lovingly. She could tell he was enjoying this too much. Looking away, she replied sulkily, "Yes."

Firmly taking her chin, he tilted her head to face him. "Say it to my face, not the door."

Her breathing grew shallow as she looked up into the endless green of his eyes as his stroking stopped and he stared at her, remaining quite still as he waited with thinly veiled anticipation. She took a deep breath and said, "Yes. I want you that much. Please, don't make me say it again."

"Once is enough," he told her, moving into action once again. He lifted her hips and tugged her skirt off of her before tugging down her panties. Impatiently she helped kick them off, discarding them carelessly in the corner of the room. Not giving her any time to settle down, his right hand found itself between her legs again. His fingers slipped into her wetness, stroking her slit slowly and massaging her clit once he'd found it. Gretel moaned louder than ever before at his touch, and he groaned hungrily in response. She watched through half lidded eyes as he stood up and pulled his pants and boxers off in one fell swoop. As he stood naked before her, her eyes strayed to his erection that stood to attention proudly and she suddenly felt quite scared. She knew what sex was, how it worked, but she was still a virgin. In spite of her kisses and embraces with Ivan, she had never gone through with having sex with him. Sex was something she had wanted to save for after she got married and Ivan was too much of a gentleman to be more insistent about it. However, the heat coursing through her body told her that waiting was out of the question now as she looked at Dirk's arousal.

Noting her anxiousness at the sight of his member, he frowned thoughtfully and asked, "You didn't do anything with Ivan? This is your first time?"

"Yes," she squeaked, her thighs closing up unconsciously at the thought of having that long 'thing' inside her. The idea frightened her just as much as it aroused her.

"Well, this will be my first time too," he told her, sinking back down onto the bed. He grabbed her knees firmly and pulled them apart without much effort. He smiled at her before pulling her towards him. She complied wordlessly as he manoeuvred her to straddle him as he sat at the edge of the bed, her entrance just brushing his tip. "I don't want to force myself on you, so I want you to go at your own pace."

Gretel gaped at him for a moment, thinking about whether she should really do this or not. She shut her eyes and battled with herself about it for a moment, but the heat that rose up her body won over her reason and she found herself slowly nodding in consent. He wrapped his arms around her waist to help support her as she placed both her hands on his shoulders. She braced herself as she lowered herself down very slowly, opening her eyes in shock when she heard Dirk moan. That moan sent shivers up her spine. It was the single most sexy noise she'd ever heard a man make and she slid herself further down his shaft to see if he made the noise again. He groaned again, burying his head in her shoulder, his grip around her waist tightening. She smiled weakly as she lowered herself further still until it reached a point where it began to hurt. Feeling tears prickle her eyes, she stopped there and shook her head. She couldn't do it.

"What's wrong?" Dirk asked, looking up when he realised she wasn't moving anymore.

She shook her head again wordlessly. She was trying her best not to cry.

"Gretel," Dirk crooned at her, pushing her blonde locks out of her face and making her look at him. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to. I'm sorry for being so pushy with you."

This declaration made Gretel relax. He wasn't forcing her. She had a choice. Knowing this, she made the decision. She kissed him once on the forehead before closing her eyes again and lowering herself all the way down sharply. She let out a strangled cry of pain as Dirk let out another throaty groan of pleasure. The searing pain lasted for what felt like ages, and Gretel found herself too scared to move. Meanwhile, Dirk was revelling in Gretel's hot tightness that surrounded him, his arms around her waist gripping tight to her soft body. He had wanted this for so long, and he found it hard not to start ploughing into her like his instincts were screaming at him to.

After a couple of minutes, Gretel felt a little less sore. She had stretched to accommodate him now, though it still stung. It wasn't like how it was in the novels she read. The pain didn't go away quickly and subside to pleasure – it stayed with her and continued to sting her as she tried to move up and down Dirk's shaft. The pain had initially caused her wetness to dry out and it felt uncomfortable for her to move; but hearing Dirk moaning in such ecstasy as she slid up and down him made her grow wet again. Hearing him made her feel powerful somehow; she was the only one who was able to make him feel like this. Once she had become moist again, it started to feel a bit better and soon she was sliding up and down him with ease. After a while, she grew tired and slowed down. Almost immediately, Dirk understood why she stopped and withdrew himself from her, almost throwing her back onto the bed and positioning himself between her legs. Before he pushed in, he stopped as he caught Gretel looking at him with a puzzled expression.

"What?" he asked, his voice husky.

She swallowed and replied, "You seem completely at home doing this. Y-You don't seem like a virgin at all."

"Why would I be? I've been doing this with you every night in my dreams since we made that bet," Dirk told her simply before pushing in roughly, eliciting a moan from both her and himself.

"Oh god," Gretel groaned, her thighs tightening around Dirk's hips as he began to slowly piston in and out of her with such force that she was inched up the bed with each thrust. She clutched at the bars of the headboard to stop herself from moving too much as she began to feel the familiar building sensation between her legs that spread throughout her body. Was this real? Was Dirk; cute, silly, childish, impatient Dirk, really doing this to her?

"Fuck," Dirk said between thrusts, "I must still be dreaming."

"Y-You... should have... told me... sooner," Gretel said between breaths as Dirk's thrusts became more insistent and more savage. His eyes were shut tight as his whole body jerked with increasing speed and desperation, his own orgasm building as hers was. She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung onto him for dear life, her hips coming up to meet his eagerly. Soon she felt the building sensation starting to reach it's peak, growing and swelling faster and faster as Dirk's moans and thrusting picked up pace. And then finally she came. She let out a loud throaty moan of ecstasy as it happened, her body twitching and convulsing as waves pleasure crashed over her. She saw white lights behind her eyelids as she scrunched them shut, riding out the sensation that coursed through her body.

"Oh god, Dirk," Gretel said breathlessly, her body tired as she continued to cling to Dirk while he continue to pump into her. She watched him numbly as his lithe body jerked backwards and forwards, a light sweat on his brow. He was really quite handsome; she was sad that she hadn't noticed it sooner. She tightened her grip around his waist with her thighs and tried her best to tighten the muscles inside herself as he pound into her. This seemed to be the trigger that sent him over the edge, as he gave one last thrust and finally found his release. She moaned softly as she felt his sticky hot seed spill out inside of her, filling her as he came.

Dirk collapsed on top of her, tired and completely drained of energy. He stayed inside her, feeling far too comfortable to move from where he was. 'This is where I belong,' he told himself, nuzzling her neck as she wrapped her arms around his and snuggled into him as he lay on top of her, 'I belong with her.'

After a long while, the two of them had finally calmed down and their breathing had returned to normal. Feeling completely safe and blissed out by what had just happened, Gretel dozily looked around Dirk's room. She noted that his bedroom was rather Spartan in its furniture selection and arrangement. There were no areas of clutter like in her house, and only one picture sat on his chest of drawers. She squinted to see who was in and with a sickening realisation she saw that it was him and Ivan. She felt a roaring in her ears as she realised what she had just done. Sure, Ivan and her had only been seeing each other for a week, but she felt dreadful at the thought that she had betrayed him. He was, after all, such a nice guy. Weakly, she turned back to the exhausted man on top of her and asked, "What are we going to do about your brother?"

"Stop thinking about him," Dirk growled into her neck. This sent shivers down Gretel's spine and she suddenly found herself becoming aroused again. Since when did this guy get so damn sexy?

Dirk lifted himself up so he could look down at Gretel as he remained nestled between her firm thighs. He frowned at her thoughtfully, his hand reaching up to stroke her jaw line gently. She closed her eyes at his this simple touch, smiling. He sighed and said, "I want you Gretel. I don't want to have to share you with my brother."

"So what do we tell him? I can't exactly say 'Sorry Ivan, I just had rampant hot sex with your brother'," Gretel said, wrinkling her nose.

"Why not?" Dirk asked, his expression completely serious.

Gretel gaped at him. "Because! Just imagine how upset he'd be. He's your brother. And to be completely fair, you caused all of this with your stupid bet."

"You didn't have to pick my brother," Dirk told her sternly.

She grimaced. That was true. She sighed as she reached up her hand to cup the side of Dirk's face, remembering what she'd been thinking about that first night when Ivan had dropped her off at her farm. She'd seen Dirk's face in Ivan's that night. In hindsight, it was kind of ironic. She brushed his lips with her fingertips, prompting him to take her hand in his and kiss it.

"I feel like a scarlet woman right now," Gretel sighed turning to look towards the door. "I don't really know how I'm going to act around you and Ivan."

"Ivan likes you. He likes you as much as I do," Dirk said, finally pulling his softened member out of Gretel. She winced at the sudden hollow feeling – she had quite liked him being inside her like that. He sat up and stared at the door pensively, completely naked and totally comfortable it. Gretel blushed as she suddenly found herself becoming aroused again at the sight of him his bare body. What was wrong with her?

He looked back her and noticed her flushed cheeks. "What are you thinking about?"

"N-Nothing," she spluttered, looking at him shiftily and pulling some of the discarded covers onto herself. However, Dirk seemed to read her mind because he roughly grabbed the covers and threw them aside again. Swift and confident, his hands pried her legs apart and he ran his index finger up her slit like he had done before. His eyebrow raised as he felt how wet she was.

"This is you, right? This isn't from when I-"

Gretel blushed again and covered her face in her hands. She felt so ashamed of herself right now. When she had arrived at the house that day, she had been thinking of Ivan and only Ivan. But here she was now, getting wet at the sight of Dirk's naked body and the sound of his groans. Dirk let out a laugh, feeling euphoric and triumphant at the same time. He pulled Gretel towards him and enveloped her in a hug, smothering every inch of her flesh that he could reach in kisses. She let out a soft purring noise in response.

"I'll tell him," Dirk said finally, peering into Gretel's wide eyes earnestly. "I'm the one responsible for all this, you're right."

"Are you sure?" Gretel said quietly, burying her head in his chest, taking in the scent of his skin.

"Not really, but I owe it to him to explain it myself," Dirk told her.

He released her from his embrace and started to pick up the discarded articles of clothing. Gretel did the same wordlessly, only pausing for a moment to touch between her legs where she could feel remnants of her session together still oozing inside her. She grimaced a little bit and Dirk chuckled.

"I can always come over and help you clean it out later," he told her suggestively. Gretel made a face and waved her hand dismissively. She'd deal with it in private, thank you very much.

Once dressed, Dirk led her out of his room and into the living room. He offered her a cup of tea and when she admitted that she was parched, he practically bounded into the kitchen. With a new spring in his step, he busied himself making drinks as Gretel peered at the pictures of Dirk and Ivan that dotted the shelves.

"You were such cute boys," Gretel called to Dirk with a slight smile.

"My brother was always cuter," Dirk replied, no trace of bitterness in his voice this time.

"No," Gretel announced. "He was just older."

Just then, the front door opened and Ivan marched into the house hurriedly. It was extremely windy outside and he looked windswept and disgruntled. Gretel immediately began to blush and retreated into the living room further where he couldn't see her, while Dirk put down the tea pot and come out of the kitchen hurriedly to greet his brother.

"I-Ivan, I wasn't expecting to see you back so soon," Dirk choked out, his hand unconsciously going to his hair to try and smooth it down.

Ivan eyed him wearily. "You seem to have cheered up since earlier. You were groaning and snarling at me from your bed this morning. By the way, your fly is undone."

"Well, see, about that... I think we need to have a chat," Dirk told him as he zipped up his fly, stepping aside and indicating that he should come into the kitchen. Ivan ignored him and pushed past him towards his bedroom to get rid of his overcoat and books. Seeing her chance to escape, Gretel dashed out of the living room and headed for the door. Dirk pecked her on the cheek quickly, causing her to blush as she slipped out into the windy street. Ivan came out of his room just as the door clicked shut behind her.


	7. Mine

_AN: More lemon!_**  
><strong>

**Chapter Seven**

_**Mine**_

Gretel spent far too long in the shower. Her fingertips were pruning by the time she finally got herself out. Every place she cleaned brought back memories of Dirk's touch, and she found herself masturbating in the shower to relieve the desire she felt as she remembered his naked figure hunched over and thoughtful. After drying herself off and pulling on a baggy t-shirt and shorts, much like what she had been wearing when Ivan first came round, she poked her head into the barn and smiled peacefully as she realised all her livestock were sleeping.

She jumped when she heard a knock on the door and silently padded over to it, barefoot and making a minimal amount of sound. She peeked out of the peephole and found excitement race up her body as she saw Dirk standing there, shielding himself from the cold air. She watched him look expectantly at the door, almost as if he knew she was behind it and she nearly jumped when she heard him say, "Gretel, I know you're there."

Opening the door, she peeped around it to make sure it definitely was him. He eyed her hungrily, taking in the shorts and baggy t-shirt which revealed her toned legs. Impatiently he pushed the door open, causing her to stumble back a little. He slammed it shut behind him and dropped his coat in a nearby chair. He looked upset, but he didn't look defeated as he had done when she had first come over that afternoon. Instead, he looked like he had just fought in a war and had won. He tumbled onto her sofa and lay there, unmoving.

"H-how did it go?" Gretel asked padding towards him and looking down at him as he looked up at her, savouring the view of her long legs. My god, all girls should get involved in farming if it made them look as sexy as she did. Manual labour did wonders for her figure.

"He's upset. Kicked me out. Which is why I'm here," Dirk explained. He pulled out one of Gretel's hairclips from his jeans pocket. "You left this there by the way. Ivan went bright red with anger when he found it."

"I'm a horrible person," Gretel said, sinking into the armchair next to him, her legs swung over the side. Dirk found it hard to concentrate on anything else when those legs were dangling so close to him. Gretel caught his stare and said, "I just broke your brothers heart, and all you can think about are my legs?"

"Ivan will get over it," Dirk said gruffly, straightening himself in his seat and continuing to stare at her. "He will get over it far quicker than I ever would have."

"You would have gotten over it easy. I see the way Antoinette looks at you," Gretel said, rolling her eyes. She got out of her seat to head to the kitchen, but Dirk grabbed her hand and stopped her.

"I don't look at Antoinette the way I look at you," Dirk stated as he tugged her hand.

Gretel obliged him and tumbled down next to him, her expression a little sullen. A memory of Dirk and Antoinette giggling by the waterfall near her house suddenly came to mind and her cheeks suddenly grew hot. This memory unlocked several others where she had seen Dirk hanging around with other girls; Sherry, Daisy, Marian; and she came to realise that Dirk really was quite popular with girls. Maybe it was because of his boyish charm that girls found themselves so very comfortable around him; or at least, that was how it was for Gretel.

Dirk was lost in his own thoughts, his green eyes fixed on Gretel as he thought of how he'd betrayed his brother for her. The thought of hurting his brother was agonising to him, but being able to have the girl he truly wanted seemed to numb this. And oh how he had wanted Gretel. Of all the girls in town, she was the one he had wanted the most. He had already had a bit of a thing for blondes, but her tomboyish personality and empathy towards those around her had really won him over. He hadn't realised his own regard for her until he was threatened with the prospect of his own brother taking her away from him. When it came down to it; Ivan was the one who made him see what she really meant to him. He smiled weakly as he tugged her further towards him and pulled her into an embrace. 'I'm never letting you go,' he told her silently as she cuddled him back, her breasts pushing against his chest pleasantly. That's what he noticed; she wasn't wearing a bra. Almost instinctively, his hand reached around and cupped her breast, feeling that her nipples were hard already. Wow, was she serious?

"Jesus, Gretel," Dirk exclaimed, pulling back from her and finding her face completely flushed. She looked away from him and pouted like a child that had been found stealing from the cookie jar. Dirk massaged her breast though her t-shirt as he leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "Are you sure you're ready for this again?"

Gretel didn't reply. She felt so ashamed of herself right now. If someone had asked her one week ago about the possibility of her and Dirk ever being in this sort of sordid relationship, she would have flat out denied it. But now, she found herself being aroused simply by hugging him. The shame was made even worse by the fact that only a couple of days ago she had been blissfully kissing his older brother. However in spite of her shame and guilt, being with Dirk like this felt so completely right. She moaned as he pulled her t-shirt up and leaned down to suckle on her breasts, his tongue swirling around her nipple and sending tingling sensations around her body. She pushed him off her slightly and asked him, "Are you sure we should be doing this?"

Dirk ignored her question, scoping her up into his arms and carrying her over to her bed. He lay her down gently and began to undress as she lay there looking up at him through heavy lidded eyes, her body shaking with anticipating. While her mind reeled anxiously at the thought of going through it all again, her body longed for it. She shifted her hips slightly as she fought to keep control of herself, watching with fascination at how Dirk's body moved as he shrugged off his clothes. Dirk kept his eyes on her the entire time it took him to undress, taking in the curves of her body and the amusing expressions of anguish and lust. It was obvious to him that she fighting with her conscience.

Not feeling she could wait any longer, Gretel sat up and tugged her shirt off hurriedly. Her breasts bounced freely as she struggled with her shorts, and Dirk watched her with a smirk on his lips. She scowled up at him grumpily – she didn't like how amused he was at her eagerness. "Stop looking at me like that."

"Why?" he asked her as she finally got her shorts and panties off. He pushed her back onto the bed, moving her golden hair aside so he could kiss the soft skin of her neck. Gretel's eyelids fluttered shut as his lips caressed her skin with such gentility that she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on ends. Oh god, why did he have to make her feel so good.

She was unable to say anything more as he pinned her down to the bed once again, forcing her legs apart as he situated himself between them. Laying against her soft body felt so comfortable that he didn't want to move away, feeling her laboured breaths as she breathed against his heavy frame. She shifted her hips under him impatiently and he took the hint. His fingers found their way to her wet cavern and he dipped his index and middle finger inside her, slipping in with ease. He smiled against her neck; she really wanted him to fuck her again. He felt her moan beneath her, her back arching against his weight, and he struggled to control his urge to ram himself into her right then and there. But this time, he wanted to take it slow – they had all the time in the world now that he didn't have to worry about his brother coming home.

"Fuck me," Gretel begged huskily from under him, her thighs tightening around his hand as he began to slowly slip them in and out with a frustratingly slow pace. She was practically dripping now and her body felt like it was on fire despite having masturbated in the shower already. She couldn't understand why her body was reacting like this, it felt like she was in a dream that she could wake up from any second now.

"Not yet," Dirk told her, propping himself up by her side so he could watch her wriggle and moan from the attentions of his fingers. She was beautiful like this; a writhing, sensual mess of groans and sighs. It was better than he could have ever imagined – and to think he nearly lost this because of a stupid bet.

"Please," she pleaded, as if her life depended on it. She hated having to beg, but the long fingers he kept slipping in and out of her sopping wetness were driving her over the edge. They twisted and wriggled slightly as he rhythmically pushed them and out, sending shockwaves of pleasure through her body and she found herself gasping for breath.

"Considering how wet you are, it's hard to believe you were a virgin," Dirk told her as he continued his torture. For a moment he pulled his fingers out of her and licked them curiously. It was strangely sweet and he chuckled when he heard her shriek in embarrassment.

"What are you doing?" she cried, covering her face in her hands and closing her thighs up.

"Don't close your legs," Dirk ordered, pushing them open once more and pushing his fingers back in.

Gretel groaned louder as he shoved them into her roughly, relaxing her legs as much as she could.

"Please... Dirk..." Gretel sighed, her hand coming up to her mouth to stifle the moans coming from her.

As he did before, Dirk swatted her hand away. "Don't make me tell you again. Or do you want me to tie you up?" He pulled his fingers completely out of her and she groaned in frustration, her dark violet eyes flashing angrily as she stared up at him with desperation and anger.

"Tell me how much you want it," Dirk ordered her, positioning himself above her on all fours. She looked at him, her eyes roaming his looming figure and resting on his erect member. Oh how she wanted to feel it sheathed inside of her, but she wanted to try to maintain some sort of dignity.

"Don't make me say it," she said moodily, turning away from him and looking at her bedside table where she saw a picture of her with her mum and dad. She reached out and turned it face down in embarrassment, not wanting to think what her mother would say if she knew that her daughter was getting screwed before she was even married.

"Say it," Dirk barked bossily from above her as he leaned back and rolled her over onto her front. Gretel gave a cry of surprise and outrage as Dirk positioned himself on top of her, but her voice stilled as she felt his tip touch her entrance. Her throat felt dry from all her moaning, and she swallowed hard in anticipation. Her body screamed at her to comply, just so she could feel him inside her again. "Say it, Gretel," Dirk breathed in her ear, causing her to shiver.

"I want it," she said unwillingly, moaning as she felt him slip in part way. He stopped expectantly, as if wanting her to say more. She shut her eyes as she finally said, "I really really want it. Please Dirk... fuck me."

This was enough for Dirk and he thrust into her roughly, groaning as loudly as she did. Gretel clutched at her pillow as he filled her with his twitching member. It still stung slightly, but it felt satisfying to feel him inside her again. She glanced up at him as best she could from her current position, and smiled with satisfaction as she saw him with his eyes shut, his face betraying just how much ecstasy he was in at being completely inside her.

"Fuck me," she demanded when she realised he wasn't moving. He opened his eyes and blinked down at her curiously. Was she trying to order him around? Wordlessly he began to start to piston in and out, causing her to wince and clutch at her pillow so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

"Oh god," Dirk groaned above her as he continued to pump into her, sliding in and out with ease. "I really do love you Gretel. You feel fucking amazing."

Gretel moaned appreciatively at this, spreading her legs wider. All embarrassment gone now that he was finally inside her, she cried, "Fuck me harder. Harder!"

Dirk complied, thrusting in as deep as he could, panting from the effort and spurred on by her groans and gasps. "Mine," he thought to himself, not realising he had said it aloud. "You're mine."

"Yes," Gretel replied between gasps, her cheeks flushing with pleasure at having Dirk claim her so possessively, both physically and emotionally.


	8. Together

**Chapter Eight**

_**Together**_

The next morning, Gretel rolled over to see Dirk lying next to her. Her single bed wasn't big enough for the both of them, but somehow they'd managed to fit. In spite of the lack of space, Gretel had to admit that it was the best sleep she'd ever had. She couldn't tell if it was because of sexual fatigue or because of Dirk's presence in her bed, but she felt absolutely fantastic when she awoke. She stared at Dirk's face; his long eyelashes fluttered slightly as he breathed out steadily, while his lips were curled into a faint smile. He was obviously having very good dreams. He looked so adorable whilst sleeping that Gretel began to grin to herself and she reached out to carefully trace a line from the bridge of his nose down to his lips. She paused at his cupids bow as she saw his eye lids start to flutter open and his brow furrow into a frown. Almost as if remembering where he was, his eyes flew open, completely alert to his surroundings. He peered at Gretel with big eyes for a moment before smiling and turning her over so he could spoon her, nuzzling into her hair.

"I need to get up Dirk," she told him in a sing song voice after a few minutes. Dirk grumbled unintelligibly into her hair, his grip around her tightening. She wriggled gently in his embrace and whined, "I have to feed the chickens and water the crops."

"Not letting you go," Dirk grumbled, his grip tightening further. "You'll run away if I do."

"No I won't, silly," Gretel chided him, but stopped trying to wriggle away from him.

"Promise?" he asked into her hair.

She smiled, stroking the arm that was wrapped around her possessively. "I promise."

"Okay, go get to work," he told her, releasing her from his grip and she rolled out of bed.

He watched her dash into the bathroom completely naked, admiring the way her ass and hips moved as she did. He rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling. He really hadn't been dreaming, it had really all happened. He had half expected to wake up and find himself back in his bed at home, alone. When he had opened his eyes and seen Gretel peering up at him, he felt so elated that he wanted to verbalise to her. However, he'd stopped himself as he remembered how Ivan had chucked him out of the house. He was sure that half the street had heard Ivan's raging, and now everyone probably knew what happened – or at least had a good idea. He thought about how he would face it all, feeling suddenly guilty for the position he had put Gretel in.

Getting out of bed just as he heard Gretel turn the shower off, he ruffled his light brown hair and look around her open planned house lazily. It was spacious, comfortable enough for both of them to live in together. He doubted that Ivan would welcome him back home any time soon, so he would have to camp out at Gretel's for a while until he calmed down. He stooped to pick up his boxers, pulling them on quickly as he saw one of Gretel's cats pad towards him. Standing completely still, he watched as it came towards him and began to rub against him, circling around both his legs. His mouth dropped open. Cats NEVER took a liking to him this quickly.

"Oh look," Gretel said, coming out of the shower room with a towel wrapped around her. "She likes you."

"She's a cat, right?" Dirk asked, still a little disbelieving.

Gretel frowned. "No, she's a fucking gorilla. Of course she's a cat."

"But..."

"Looks like cats like you now," she said with a smile, picking her cat up and kissing it on the top of its head. It mewled and playfully tried to reach round and nip her fingers, but Gretel just tutted at it and handed it over to Dirk. Dirk took the cat timidly, waiting for it to turn around and try to claw his eyes out, but it didn't. He cradled it delicately like it was a baby and it purred, settling down comfortably.

He cleared his throat and said, "It's probably just because I smell like you right now."

"Probably," Gretel replied, heading over to her dresser and pulling out some clothes, a smile tugging at her lips.

Dirk loved cats, feeling a special affinity with them for some reason, and he felt a little out of sorts that one of them finally thought him trust worthy enough for him to hold it. Almost as if sensing his trepidation, the cat miaowed at him and outstretched its legs as it tried to turn around and nip at his hands, signifying that it wanted to be put down. He complied, almost dropping it, and it landed on all fours elegantly with a stern hiss at him.

For the rest of the day, Dirk followed Gretel around the farm, watching as she watered and weeded her crops, fed her livestock and swept the yard. He hadn't realised just how much work she actually did during the day and he suddenly felt quite inadequate next to her. She made a living from looking after her farm, but what did he do? He worried about it all day until finally Gretel asked him at dinner what was wrong.

"N-nothing," he told her, staring down at his food pensively. Her cooking was much better than he expected, and he thought of himself as quite the gourmet. Obviously not on the same level as that nutter Pierre who came around for the cooking festival, but he still reckoned he had a greater appreciation for good food than most people.

Gretel pouted at him until he looked up and saw her pulling a face at him. He gave a small sigh and said, "I feel like I should be doing something more with my life."

"But you are," she told him bluntly. "You're fucking me now, aren't you?"

Dirk began to laugh and nearly choked on his food. When he had managed to recover, he said, "But it's not enough to just to be... wait, what am I to you?"

"My boyfriend," she told him before ramming a large piece of carrot into her mouth. She ignored the fact that he began blushing at this, not realising how happy it seemed to make him that she was claiming him as something as public as a boyfriend.

"Anyway," he continued. "I feel like I should do something more than just work at Joan and Marian's cafe. I can't provide for you if I just do a small job like that."

"I don't need to be provided for, Dirk," Gretel told him uncomfortably, realising why he felt worried. She felt a little guilty that she was causing him to completely rethink his lifestyle.

"Well, I might have to in the future," Dirk told her firmly, staring at her intently.

Gretel felt a heat rising through her again, though this time it wasn't lust; it was an all together much deeper emotion. She blushed and looked away.

"So what are you going to do?" Gretel asked him, staring at her food, no longer feeling hungry.

"I'm not sure. I've always wanted to open my own cafe or restaurant, but it seems kind of silly right now," he told her as he watched her two dogs running around in circles around the table.

"Ignore them," Gretel said with a wave of her hand. "They're crazy. Only reason I keep 'em around is because they're so proactive at getting the cattle in and out of the barn. But anyway, you should do it! You're a great cook. I remember when you tried cooking at Joan's cafe and you made me try some of it. It was delicious."

"I can't really afford to do something that adventurous though," Dirk told her, watching her as she avidly crammed food into her mouth. She seemed completely at home with this whole situation, and didn't seem at all embarrassed that she was stuffing her face like a pig.

"You know, we're going to have to deal with everyone in town now," Gretel told him thoughtfully as she broke off a piece of bread and scooped up the last remnants of her dinner onto it.

"Huh, what?" Dirk asked dumbly.

She rolled his eyes. "Everyone is going to know, or find out, what happened."

"Oh, right," Dirk said, his mood deflating a bit. She watched him thoughtfully as she chewed her bread, admiring how cute he looked when he sat thinking to himself.

"Well, it's something we will have to deal with tomorrow anyway. No point dwelling on it now," Gretel told him as she began to clear the table.

As she bent over to reach for a plate, Dirk stroked the inside her right thigh and caused her to wobble slightly. She stopped and looked around at him, half angry and half questioning. He ignored her expression and proceeded to get up from his seat and come up behind her, his intention becoming very obvious to her as he grasped her hips.

"Dirk, let me clear the table..." Gretel sighed as she heard him undo his zipper and start tugging down her trousers. He leaned over her and started clearing the plates out of the way, which she hurried to help with when she realised what he was doing. Once there was enough space cleared, he pushed down on her lower back and forced her to lie on her front on the table as he pulled down his boxers and then her panties.

While it annoyed Gretel that Dirk felt like he could just spring his sexual advances on her whenever he wanted, she felt herself become excited by the fact that he wanted her this much. She clutched the edge of the table as she felt him ease himself into her slowly, taking his time to fully push himself in. She let out an involuntary moan that was more throaty and guttural than she had ever made before. From this position, Dirk felt so much deeper inside her, and she felt slightly breathless from the sensation. It was a delicious feeling and she shut her eyes as he began to thrust into her in deep, deliberate strokes. He listened to her moans with satisfaction as he rhythmically pounded into her, causing the cutlery on the table to shake with each thrust.

"You make me... want you... this much," Dirk said forcefully between thrusts. Gretel moaned loader, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't form any words that made sense. Instead, her fingers found their way to her clit, and she began to rub herself as Dirk continued to thrust as deep into her as he could. She felt herself building already, her wetness dripping down the inside of her leg. It would have embarrassed her if she actually cared, but she was too far gone in her own pleasure to give a damn and she continued to tease her clit as Dirk's thrusting began to finally pick up pace.

The sight of Gretel touching herself and moaning against the dinner table as he pounded her from behind began to drive him to the edge. It delighted him that she was so easy to arouse and he was glad that he had claimed her when he did. She looked up at him hazily, her expression so lustful and wanton that he felt the waves of his orgasm coming sooner than he wanted. He tried to hold it back, but Gretel tipped him over the edge as she began to howl his name, obviously reaching dangerously close to her own climax.

He groaned hoarsely as his orgasm over took him and he thrust into her one more time. Two plates fell from the table and hit the ground with a shatter as he propelled wave upon wave of cum deep inside her. This sensation alone seem to drive her over the edge as well and she let out one final yell of his name, her slippery walls convulsing around him. It was such an intense orgasm that they both felt completely drained of energy, their legs shaky and weak from the sheer force of it. Dirk rested against Gretel for support, panting in her ear. She cleared her throat and said huskily, "You owe me two new plates."


	9. Freya

**Chapter Nine**

_**Freya**_

The next day, Gretel dared to venture into town early in the morning. After making sure she looked suitably scruffy and unattractive (despite Dirk's complaints) she made her way across the square and towards Joan's coffee shop to have a chat with Marian. If there was one person who would approve of what had conspired between her and Dirk, it would be her. When she got inside she found Marian and Joan in the process of readying the shop for opening and she smiled apologetically at them for coming so early. Marian gave her a small wink and waved over to a table in the corner with a menu and Gretel took a seat as indicated. Joan looked over at Gretel critically as Marian readied some tea and biscuits and brought them over, ignoring her grandmother mutters about young people's indiscretions.

Once Marian had poured out tea for them, she took a seat adjacent from Gretel and said, "So, how are you doing today?"

Gretel blushed. She took a sip of her tea to stall for time before saying, "I'm very well thank you."

"I heard all about you and Ivan. And Dirk," Marian told her, looking up at her knowingly as she took a sip of her own tea.

Gretel cringed. So it really had been spread around town as quickly as she thought it would. Sensing her distress, Marian placed a hand over Gretel's and said reassuringly, "Don't worry sweet heart. It's only a gossip. It'll die down once everyone's used to you and Dirk being an... item."

"Ivan won't get used to it though," Gretel sighed miserably as she took a bite out of a biscuit.

Setting her cup down, Marian said, "I knew this was going to happen the moment Dirk made that bet with you. He used to fancy me quite a bit when I first moved in with my grandmother, but since you arrived he barely looked at me so I just knew he liked you."

"W-why didn't you say anything to me?" Gretel asked, her mouth slightly agape.

"It wasn't my place to say anything. I'm just the waitress," Marian replied pleasantly, dipping one of the biscuits in her tea before gingerly taking a bite.

Gretel swallowed. "I shouldn't have picked Ivan for that bet."

"No," Marian said sternly. "You shouldn't have. But you weren't to know how much both brothers liked you. When all is said and done, it's their fault. You just happened to be the toy they're fighting over."

"How am I even supposed to face Ivan now?" Gretel agonised, her eyes downcast.

Marian thought about this for a moment before saying sagely, "I think it's best if you give him some space for a while. I wouldn't worry about him too much; he's got plenty of women interested in making him feel better. He's much more likely to get over it faster than Dirk would have."

"Yeah, Dirk told me that the other day," Gretel said thoughtfully, still not really believing it.

"Poor Dirky has been overlooked by most of the girls in this town. He doesn't look like a little boy anymore, but his behaviour and antics with Kevin don't really make him seem all that appealing to girls. Except for you of course," Marian said with a giggle into her teacup.

Gretel grimaced slightly. "No. I didn't even think of him like that till-" she broke off, not wanting to say anymore.

Marian leaned in curiously, "Till?"

Gretel blushed, covering her face with her hands as she shook her head. The memory of her first time with Dirk made her blush all over. There was no way she could go into details with Marian about it. She peeped at the older woman through her hands and saw that she was wearing a smirk. Marian knew exactly what had happened.

"He's awfully sexy when he's angry, isn't he?" Marian cooed as Gretel tried to regain her composure. Gretel looked at her in shock after hearing this, but Marian wrinkled her nose. "Don't worry Gretel. I've never been interested in him romantically, or sexually for that matter. But I didn't overlook how well he grew up. He looks much like how his brother looked at his age, he just needs to start behaving more adult."

"But if he starts behaving like an adult, other women will start to notice him," Gretel whined.

"Other women already have. Antoinette has had her eye on him for quite some time now. She came in here yesterday looking for him and her expression turned quite sour when I suggested that he might be with you."

Gretel giggled as she imagined Antoinette's irritation. Antoinette and Gretel had never seen eye to eye about much, and hearing that Antoinette had been interested in Dirk all along seemed to make all the disagreements make sense.

Just then, the door to the coffee shop swung open and Dirk came in. He looked from Joan to the corner in which the two women sat and then turned scarlet. Gretel smiled at him encouragingly and he wandered over to them shyly. Gretel found herself breathing a sigh of relief – Dirk was back to being himself again. In front of other people at least.

"So Dirky-boy," Marian said teasingly. "You're officially dating Gretel now?"

"U-uh, if you can call it dating," he began clumsily, looking to Gretel for help. She gave him a nod and he replied, "Y-Yeah. Bet we surprised everyone."

"Not really," Marian said brightly, rising from her chair slowly and motioning for Dirk to sit down. "I'll go get you some breakfast, I'm sure you haven't eaten yet."

"Thanks Marian," Dirk said appreciatively as she hurried away. He took Marian's old seat, his expression changing from embarrassment to suspicion as he turned to Gretel and asked, "What did you tell her about us?"

"Nothing," Gretel said coyly, sipping her tea and smiling up at him from her cup. He frowned at her and she remembered Marian's comment about how he looked when he was angry. She was completely right. She nudged her knee between Dirk's legs as she said, "We were just talking about how sexy you've become since she first met you."

Dirk blushed and he looked over at Marian who was humming to herself as she cooked. "Seriously?"

"Yep," Gretel said cheerily, also looking over at Marian who was now chiding her grandmother for grumbling. "She told me you had a crush on her too, once. Got a thing for blondes by any chance?"

Dirk ignored her question and looked away embarrassed, his knees gripping the one that she had slipped between his. She felt his hand creep onto her thigh under the table and she glanced at him in horror, her eyes darting over to Marian and Joan. Grandmother and granddaughter were both occupied with something else, but Gretel still didn't feel it was appropriate for Dirk to be groping her so public. She was about to tell him off when she heard the door of the cafe swing open, and her she felt a crashing wave of guilt sweep over her as she saw who it was.

Freya sauntered into the cafe, her trendy hand bag slung over her shoulder and her perfectly straight hair hanging gracefully around her face as if she had just stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine. Gretel suddenly felt very ugly, and she lowered her head slightly as Freya caught sight of her and Dirk. Freya lost her countenance, her expression becoming strained as her eyes darted around the cafe looking for the nearest exit. However, she recovered herself after a moment and headed towards the counter and ordered her morning coffee-to-go as if nothing had happened.

Marian noticed Freya's arrival with some alarm and prepared Freya's coffee hastily, hoping to get her out of the cafe as soon as was possible, but Freya seemed to have other ideas. After paying for her coffee, she took it over towards Gretel and Dirk's table with a purposeful expression in her eyes. She looked from Dirk to Gretel slowly before asking, "So I'm guessing that you're the new happy couple?"

Dirk looked up at her blankly, obviously slightly dumbstruck that Freya was even speaking to them. His mouth began to gape slightly, as if trying to think of words to say, but Gretel beat him to it.

"I'm sorry Freya," Gretel said, looking up at Freya earnestly.

Freye's hazel eyes fixed themselves on Gretel's and the two women stared at each other for a moment before Freya said, "Apology not accepted."

"What the hell?" Dirk said hotly, obviously outraged at her response.

Freya turned nastily to Dirk. "I won't accept her apology because it's not her that should be giving it. She isn't responsible for this happening, you and your brother are."

This seemed to stun Dirk and his eyes widened as he realised that she was laying the blame entirely on him and Ivan.

"So don't you dare let Gretel take any of the blame for this mess," Freya spat before stalking out of the cafe with her coffee in hand.


End file.
